Top 10 Books for Budding Detectives

Top 10 Books for Budding Detectives

For curious minds who love a good mystery and a trail of clues…

Whether your young reader dreams of solving crimes, cracking codes, or uncovering long-lost secrets, these ten detective stories are packed with puzzles, peril, and page-turning suspense. Perfect for ages 8–12, each book invites children to step into the shoes of a sleuth. Magnifying glass optional!

1. Five On A Treasure Island: Book 1 (Famous Five) by Enid Blyton

The very first Famous Five adventure, featuring Julian, Dick, Anne, not forgetting tomboy George and her beloved dog, Timmy! There's a shipwreck off Kirrin Island! But where is the treasure? The Famous Five are on the trail - looking for clues - but they're not alone! Someone else has got the same idea. Time is running out for the Famous Five, who will follow the clues and get to the treasure first?

Perfect book to get introduce children to Enid Blyton mystery books.

2. The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine

In Edwardian London, a daring theft at Sinclair’s department store leads four friends into a world of spies and secrets.
Perfect for fans of historical adventure.
Readers aged 9+ are more likely to enjoy this book.

3. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Four gifted children are recruited for a secret mission but nothing is quite what it seems.
Puzzles, danger, and a dash of eccentricity.
Perfect for 10-year-olds looking to jump up a bracket to slightly more challenging reads

4. The Mystery of the Missing Puppies by Megan Rix

Lizzie, who is deaf, spots a suspicious man with a puppy and sets out to solve the case.
A gentle mystery for younger readers with a big heart.

5. The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

A sleepover at Amelia Earhart’s childhood home turns into a thrilling whodunit when her goggles go missing.
Girl-powered sleuthing with a historical twist.

6. The Big Six by Arthur Ransome

When boats go missing, six friends must clear their names and catch the real culprits.
Old-fashioned charm and classic detective teamwork.

7. The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage by Enid Blyton (Five Find-Outers #1)

Meet Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip, Bets (and Buster the dog) as they solve their very first mystery in the sleepy village of Peterswood.
Full of disguises, clues, and cheeky charm, this series is a nostalgic delight.

8. The Creakers by Tom Fletcher

Lucy wakes up one morning to discover something very strange indeed. All the grown-ups in her town have disappeared. All the other kids in Whiffington are so excited! No more grown-ups means no more school! No more bedtime! No more rules! But Lucy wants her mum back - and nothing is going to stop her.

9. The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

11.32am. Ted and his sister Kat watch their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye. The pod rises from the ground, high above the city.
12.02am. The pod lands and the doors open. Everyone exits - everyone but Salim.
Has he spontaneously combusted? (Ted's theory.)
Has he been kidnapped? (Aunt Gloria's theory.)
Is he even still alive? (The family's unspoken fear.)
Even the police are baffled - so it's up to Ted, whose brain runs on its own unique operating system, to solve this mystery and find Salim. Teaming up with Kat, Ted follows a trail of clues across London - while time ticks dangerously by...

10. The Secret of the Old Clock by Nancy Drew

The Secret of the Old Clock is the mystery that began it all for America's favorite teenaged slueth. The accidental rescue of a little girl who lives with her two great-aunts leads to an adventurous search for a missing will.